Just curious; What is the total $ savings over the life of a Corrolla using non-Toyota trans fluid? And why are we discussing the warranty if your car is already out of it as you state above?
Sorry, itās wordy (skip it if you choose)ā¦ Okay, Iāve thought about it and hereās what Iāve come up withā¦
Iām not trying to change the conversation away from this Toyota transmission fluid thing, but since I only have GM and Chrysler cars I have to use those in my discussion.
Older GM cars use Dexron-III transmission fluid. Newer GM cars use Dexron-VI (full synthetic). I believe the Dexron-VI supersedes the Dexron-VI and can replace the older fluid, no problem. I donāt think one can purchase the Dexron-III any longer.
However some companies package Dex/Merc that they say can be used in applications requiring Dexron-III or Mercon (Ford).
It is a bit confusing, so I believe in staying within specs and not using universal fluids or something that raises questions. I donāt go by claims made by the fluid manufacturers, but rather go by what the car manufacturer says.
That said, I would use GM brand Dexron-VI in my cars or other brands that say Dexron-VI and certified and approved by General Motors for all cars and trucks that require Dexron-VI. (certified for use in all GM Hydra-Matic transmissions)
GM says to use fluids that are GM licensed and display the Dexron Approved logo, like the one found on my bottle of Castrol Transmax Dexron-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Hereās what GM says and also shows licensing logo.
"When vehicle owners use non GM-licensed driveline fluids, they risk shortening the life of their transmissions and voiding their vehicle warranties. Thatās why GM recommends only the use of DEXRON-approved products."
https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/home.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2013/Jan/0111_dexron.html
Long story, even longer, Iād only use different brands of transmission fluid that specify oneās particular car manufacturers transmission application and are licensed and approved by the carās manufacturer.
Check that Max-Life bottle carefully.
"Valvoline has conducted extensive in-house testing, independent lab testing, and field-testing to support MaxLifeā¢ Multi-Vehicle ATF performance in the broadest range of transmissions; however, it should be noted that MaxLifeā¢ Multi-Vehicle ATF is not an OEM licensed product. The respective vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor endorsed MaxLifeā¢ Multi-Vehicle ATF in these applications. If an OEM licensed product is preferred we recommend Valvoline DEXRONĀ® VI, Valvoline ATF+4Ā® and Valvoline MERCONĀ®V for the corresponding applications."
http://content.valvoline.com/pdf/maxlife_atf.pdf
CSA
. A litre of Toyota DOT 3 brake fluid you buy over the counter at any Toyota dealership cost 21/2 time more than DOT 3 aftermarket brake fluid. Its the same stuffā¦ DOT 3 is DOT 3. I know for a fact that my Toyota dealer( my son is a mechanic there) doesnāt even use their branded product. They get it in bulk from aftermarket suppliers.So, if the aftermarket fluid meets or exceed Toyota specs you are good to go.
You have stated that on this forum at least once before and it was wrong then and it is wrong now.
DOT 3 defines the performance of the fluid such as wet and dry boiling points ONLY, NOT the formulation of the fluid. Each manufacturer of DOT 3 fluid must meet those specs but can formulate the fluid any way they feel is best. That Toyota fluid may be made by one of the aftermarket manufacturers to Toyotaās spec and may or may not be sold in exactly that same formulation.
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You have to bear in mind that this forum member posted the following nonsense recently, in regard to the 2016-17 Dodge Charger, and when I asked that he substantiate his claim, I gotā¦nothing:
This car share (sic) 90% of its mechanical (sic) and engineering with the Mecedes (sic) E Class so you know it will last.
I think that we just have one more case ofā¦alternative factsā¦here.
It seems that alternative facts are very popular in certain circles nowadays.
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He was partly right about the E-class stuff. The chassis parts are based on the late 90ās Merc E-class that Chrysler inherited when parent Daimler released a new model E-class. But really not much else was carried over. The chassis bits are quite competent for ride and handling. Better than what Chrysler itself had used previously but I wouldnāt hang my hat on its reliability. Especially these days. My SIL drives a Charger but leases it so weāll never know how reliable it is. Same for my BILās Ram truck. I judge the quality by how many times they complain about taking them back for warranty work.
And how many folks with Chryslers post their problems here! 
Toyota claims that their factory fill brake fluid is different than some replacement fluids. This statement is from a master cylinder cup seal recall;
During vehicle assembly, Toyota uses brake fluids containing polymers that act as lubricants for certain
brake system components. If replacement brake fluid is used that does not contain such polymers, or
contain only small amounts, a part of the rubber seal (Brake Master Cylinder Cup) located at the rear of the
brake master cylinder may become dry, and the rubber seal may curl during movement of the piston. If this
occurs, a small amount of the brake fluid could slowly leak from the seal into the brake booster, resulting in
illumination of the brake warning lamp.
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My recollection is that the rear suspension was the only area of the older Charger and Chrysler 300 that was essentially identical to that older Mercedes E-Class. Perhaps the front suspension on those earlier Chargers and 300s also bore some resemblance to MB technology. But, to claimāat least a decade after MB and Chrysler parted waysāthat the newer-design Charger is ā90% identicalā to the E-Class is extremely questionable.
When one gets to the figure of ā90%ā, that would imply that the engine, transmission, and most of the body parts of these Detroit products are the same as MBās designs. And, thenāof courseāwe have that claim of āMercedes reliabilityā
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Nonsense! Do you think Toyota will go to all this trouble?
Trouble to do what? Develop better brake fluid or recall failing master cylinders?
This is the recall; https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/ACM15901256/RCMN-10V499-4566.pdf
Yes, they would go to this much trouble as would many other manufacturers. Note @Nevada_545 clipped in the language that Toyota put in the recall notice. You think they are just making it up?
I hate to say it, but if what you are saying is true, your son works for a lowlife Toyota dealer
My beef would be with the dealership, not your son, so donāt take it personally
When I worked at a dealer, we were REQUIRED to use factory coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid etc. Yes, the containers clearly said āMercedes-Benzā
Iād feel a little cheated if I specifically brought my car to a dealership for service, and they used Prestone coolant and/or brake fluid
The big exception was motor oil and gear oil
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Toyota transmission fluid substitute
That is the topic. I posted information that I thought was useful to the topic and its author. Iām afraid it got buried under 10 comments about brake fluid, since then.
The brake fluid discussion was helpful in illustrating using factory specified fluids, but what does anybody think about the information I posted about factory approved (certified/licensed formulation) aftermarket transmission fluid ?
CSA
When I worked at a dealer, we were REQUIRED to use factory coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid etc. Yes, the containers clearly said āMercedes-Benzā
Thats a lot of crap!
Please clarify
Are you calling me a liar?
Or are you saying the dealership had a policy which you do not agree with?
Please make your answer crystal clear . . . please do not beat around the bush
I donāt think Mercedes makes any of their own fluid.Maybe its meet Mercedes quality control and formulation thats all.
I agree with you CSA. If itās factory licensed and approved I wouldnāt hesitate to use it. Truthfully though, when I get my transmission fluids changed by my local indie mechanic, Iāll call him ahead of time to make sure he gets the correct fluid from the dealership. Iāve also brought it with me too for his convenience (I only bring him sealed containers, and he has never had a problem with this) if he doesnāt have any in stock.
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Whether or not Benz makes its own fluids is the not the point I was making.
There was nobody elseās name on the fluid containers. It didnāt say made by brand x for Mercedes-Benz. It WAS genuine Benz fluid. It was NOT Prestone coolant, meeting spec such and such. You can buy that at pep boys, in all likelihood
So the bottom line is the customer was getting the car serviced at the dealer, with factory fluids, and why shouldnāt they
If you think thatās a load of 
then you have every right to get your car serviced elsewhere
But I see absolutely nothing wrong with a dealer using factory fluids. In fact, I think itās a good thing, for the most part.
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Geez, how much brake fluid can you go through in a year or two? Iāve still got the Acura bottle I bought with the car. So instead of $8 at AZ, you pay $12 at Acura? I did my 20K service yesterday: Mobil 1, Honda oil filter, Honda engine filter, Honda cabin filter. I suppose Fram would have been cheaper but whatās the point? Maybe someday Iāll go looking for the extra $20 I wasted with OEM products, who knows?
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On my 2002 Sienna, I drove some years a lot of miles in bursts. Leave McAllen, two days later, Illinois or Virginia or Florida (okay sometimes three days), be there a few days, then back home, off to Mexico by bus for a month, then come back and do it all over again.
Such steady driving, mostly on cruise control, meant I could see accurate figures on gas mileage. For example, at 70 mph, it was usually 24 mpg. In states with 65 mph limits, up a bit, and states with 60, probably 26 mpg.
I changed 3 quarts at a time from the usual transmission fluid to Mobil-1 synthetic, and mileage went up at least 1 mpg. At 222,000 miles, that transmission still shifts smoothly. Dang, I miss that car!
I also wondered if there is a better fluid than World Standard for my car. I donāt know, and there is no way to find out. So, I am going to to what one person suggested, which is use WS and change it more often.
I had no idea what WS cost, so I checked Amazon, since I can do that easily from here in Mexico. When I got to McAllen, I drove across the city limit into Pharr and asked the parts counter at the dealer, and the price was so close I just bought 5 quarts from them.
I will probably buy more if and when I drive the car back to McAllen. One can drive a Mexican car into Texas for a few days, I think someone said up to 30 days, if you have the insurance. IF I donāt go back, I may have to take a 4 hour round trip to the Toyota dealer in the state capitol.
My worry is the washer on the drain plug. I am sure I bought some, but canāt remember where they are. Sigh!